Seasonal variation in yield, nutritive value, and antioxidant capacity of leaves of alfalfa plants grown in arid climate of Saudi Arabia

In addition to its high nutritional value, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has several health benefits including antioxidant, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, antiulcer, hypocholesterolemic, hypolipidemic, and estrogenic effects. We aimed assess the value antioxidant capacity of leaves at different times year in arid regions. Alfalfa was harvested autumn, winter, spring, summer fresh yield leaf:stem ratio were measured. Leaves collected determine their using two extracts viz.: absolute ethanol or distilled water. Fresh highest spring (20 t ha-1 57.6%, respectively), followed equally by winter lowest (10.75 51.6%, respectively). The autumn cut had crude protein (33.52%) fat content (3.79%) fiber (13.95%) acid detergent (16.55%), which are good indicators suitability for human nourishment. However, characterized lower digestibility values (86.2%) compared other cuts. Antioxidant autumns extracted with either water examined terms total polyphenols, flavonoids, DPPH scavenging capacity, reducing power. Ethanol extract showed higher phenol flavonoid contents (6.41 4.88 mg gallic equivalents g-1 DW, These results suggest that is most appropriate season purposes.